Wish you were here: Travellers’ tales from Scotland, 1540-1960

Captivating tales and images of travel in Scotland
were brought together in the annual summer exhibition at the
National Library of Scotland in 2003. The exhibition ran from 1
June to 31 October.

Elsie Jollyman in the
Scottish Highlands, 1909.

Scotland has welcomed visitors for hundreds of years. Many have
recorded their impressions of the people they met and the things
they saw.

These informal accounts — pinpointed in time — let us glimpse
the changing face of Scotland through their eyes.

Journals and diaries from the Library's collections show the
development of tourism across 400 years, with each traveller's
observations put in context using documents, illustrations and
everyday objects from the period.

The Scottish experience

Whether famous figures, such as Dr Samuel Johnson, or the likes
of Elsie Jollyman — an Edwardian woman touring in a horse-drawn
caravan — the writers present colourful perceptions of life and
landscapes they encountered as they journeyed.

Moffat, 1795.

'We had some of their wisky with wich we made
what is called tody being wisky mixed hot water and sugar … we
returned to our boat and very merryly rowed home' — Stephen Place,
1832

Coach cartoon, 1825.

'No sooner were we seated and driven from the inn
door than the Off horse strove to bite the neck of its companion …
we were much alarmed' — Judith Beecroft, 1833.

Edinburgh,
1829.

'We could understand nothing on this side of what
the people said any more than if we had been in Morocco' — Daniel
Defoe, 1727.

John Taylor and
friend, Loch Chon,
1932.

'Of course, Scotland has a short season and it is
a question (often a desperate one in view of the vagaries of the
Scottish weather) of "making hay while the sun shines"' — John
Taylor, 1934.

Rail tickets, photos and postcards

Maps, transport notices, rail tickets, photographs and postcards
on display in the exhibition also contribute to the impressions of
'the Scottish experience' from days gone by.

A pistol that belonged to Robert Burns is among the exhibits on
loan to help set the scene — and we even have a 1930s
motorcycle!

Reel time

Camping scene, 1930s.

Dr Johnson sets out
from Edinburgh.

Steamer brochure,
1896.

Amateur and professional 20th-century film footage has its place
in our exhibition, too. While you are here you can sit back and
enjoy 10 short 'Holiday reels'.

Take in 'Holidays scenes at Rothesay' (1921), have a look at 'St
Andrews' (1953 — golf included) and enjoy 'A busman's holiday'
(1959 — and, yes, it is about a bus driver who takes a bus
tour!).

Scottish Youth
Hostels
Association
handbook, 1939.

Winning tales

Two of our summer visitors can win a Freedom of Scotland travel
pass, simply by writing about their favourite holiday memory on one
of our special postcards and dropping it into the exhibition pillar
box.

The first prize in our competition, which is sponsored by
ScotRail, is an eight-day family pass, and the second winner will
have a four-day pass for two adults.